


A little mistletoe never killed anyone

by XCuteAsHale



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: But he doesn't kill him, Christmas fic, Hannibal is kinda sour-sweet, M/M, NOT-BETA'ED, Nostalgic Will Graham, Will plans Hannibal's death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 07:52:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5531627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XCuteAsHale/pseuds/XCuteAsHale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will Graham hates christmas. He didn't always, of course, but after his father's death the holiday stopped being cheery. Resigned to celebrate the holiday alone with his dogs, Will discovered that Hannibal has something else planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A little mistletoe never killed anyone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DenaCeleste](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DenaCeleste/gifts).



> For my amazing and lovely Dena, who is always there for me and has helped me so much during this lovely year. I love you baby, and I hope you enjoy this fic! God jul, min kjære <3

It never got any easier, no matter how many years passed. No matter how old Will got, it was always that twitch of pain lacing his chest, that burning sensation in his chest, when christmas arrived. When he was a child, his father had adored christmas, baking cookies and decorating even before december came. Talking throughout the year about how santa would be sad if Will didn’t eat his vegetables. When his father died, Will swore off christmas. He didn’t need the stupid holiday anyway. A season filled with social commitments and awkward small talk? Who needed that anyway.

 

Of course, knowing something, and feeling it was to different things. And Will was good enough at his job that he understood that he had a deep attachment to the holiday due to residual need to please his lost father. He still had a need to bake cookies and hang up christmas trees, despite knowing that no one would visit, and no one would see.

 

This year, he was torn between hoping to escape the day by working, and hoping that the chesapeake ripper would have found his own holiday cheer and taken a day off.

 

Will had already been invited, and declined said invitations, to both Jack’s and Alana’s house for celebrations. The two no doubt suffering from a guilty conscience for abandoning him on the happiest day of the year, not realizing that to Will, this was the saddest of them all.

 

When he woke up on christmas morning, he dressed in warm and practical clothes, totally ignoring the formal suit Hannibal had bought him, and took his dogs out. The cold air helped soothe the fever warm feeling his nightmare had left behind, the burning in his lungs helped remind him that he was in fact still alive, and not yet on the ripper’s dinner plate. The ground was covered in snow deep enough to reach Will’s knees, and the dogs was ecstatic. Even old Winston, who rarely left Will’s side during their walks, was jumping around and playing with the younger pups. They kept walking for hours, and even when they turned back towards the house, Will was reluctant to go back inside. If the dogs hadn’t started looking wet and cold, he would have been outside all day.

 

When they got back to the house there was a strange car parked outside, motor still running, spitting exhaust coloring the snow behind it gray.

 

Will was torn between feeling suspicion towards it and a sad kind of happiness that work had called anyway, when a strange man stepped out of the car wearing what looked suspiciously like a drivers uniform.

 

“Mr.Graham?” The stranger asked, glove clad hands clasped firmly in front of him.

 

So much for work.

 

“Who’s asking?” Will asked, noticing how his dogs seemed too relaxed to deem the stranger a threat, but being unable to relax himself.

 

“My name is Jason, and Mr. Lecter instructed me to retrieve both you and your canines and drive you to his house.” The stranger, Jason, said.

 

“I’m sorry, but I’m sure you’re misinformed. I haven’t heard anything similar to those plans.” Will was starting to get annoyed now, surely Hannibal wouldn’t?

 

“Mr. Lecter told me you would say that, and he also instructed me to give you this, should you refuse to cooperate.” Jason smiled slightly, reaching into his jacked to retrieve a small envelope before handing out to Will.

 

Will stared at the note, finding his own body tense, before he reached for it. When he opened it he was welcomed with Hannibal’s elegant handwriting, and a message that almost made his jaw drop in outrage.

 

“ _Dear Will._

_I know you don’t usually celebrate christmas, however I find myself reluctant to celebrate it myself without your presence. I’m fully aware that you would find an excuse in your dogs, so I found a reliable driver service who allows canines in their cars, so that you won’t have to leave them behind. I hope that you won’t decline this offer, as I would find christmas both dull and unfulfilled without you._

_Yours truly,_

_Hannibal Lecter._ “

  
Will wasn’t sure what his face actually looked like after reading the note, but from the look on Jason’s face, it wasn’t the happy or gooey face one would expect after something like this. How dare Hannibal put that on Will? How dare he make Will responsible for his happiness over the holidays, and without Will’s consent or knowledge! That stupid, self centered, pompous-

 

“Excuse me, Mr. Graham?”

 

Will looked up from his inner monologue when Jason said his name and saw that the other man had already loaded every single one of the dogs into the car, and was now standing beside the passenger side waiting for him to climb in. Will grumbled to himself as he complied, muttering curses and planning ways to murder one psychiatrist without getting caught.

 

When they got to the Lecter mansion, and despite Hannibal’s continuous claims that it was in fact a house, Will couldn’t see it as anything except a mansion, Will had decided how to kill the man. He was going to impale him with a christmas tree, then wrap him up in lights and ornaments, before topping it all by hanging a piece of mistletoe on his forehead by a nail. The mansion itself practically screamed christmas, lights hanging tastefully around the windows and from the ceiling and a beautiful wreath hanging on the front door. Relieved by the fact that he now had a plan, Will helped Jason unload the dogs, before he walked up towards the front door.

 

Without having to knock, which Will wouldn’t be sure how to do without damaging the wreath on the door, Hannibal pulled it open and smiled welcoming at his guest. With canines.

 

Will was _fuming_.

 

“William, won’t you come in?”

 

Hannibal wasn’t wearing his typical suit, having opted for a soft-looking knitted sweater and black pants instead, with his typical apron on top. And he was covered in flour. His eyes were filled with mirth that would have been more appropriate on a six year old, and not a man closing in on fifty, but he didn’t seem to notice.

 

Will was struggling to keep his anger as his heart melted just a little bit.

 

Hannibal soon got both of them inside, all nine dogs running around their feet, and removed Will’s coat with quick hands. Will didn’t know what to expect for the evening, but he dreaded a full dinner party with complicated dishes and obnoxious people talking about things he didn’t even wish to understand, when Hannibal lead him into the house.

 

“Why did you send a car for me?” Will asked, surprised by the warmth in his voice that had nothing to do with anger, and too much to do with the feelings he had for his psychiatrist.

 

“How else would you get here with all of your dogs?” Hannibal asked, seemingly ignoring Will’s real question.

 

Will didn’t answer, to busy trying to shake of the feeling of nostalgia that creeped up on him as he walked through the house, looking at the decorations that had sprung up in the house since his last visit.

 

“Seriously, Hannibal, why did you bring me here - or, had be brought here?”

 

“Did you ever stop to consider that I didn’t wish to spend christmas by my own, and simply wanted your company?”

 

Will stopped walking and looked at the other man, considering the possibility. He knew that Hannibal was alone, with no living relatives in the states, and despite having many acquaintances, he didn’t seem to have too many close friends. Maybe he actually just wanted someone to be with him during the holidays? And he knew that Will would be alone, they had talked about it last year after christmas, so maybe he thought this would be the best choice. Maybe it wasn’t because of pity, but because Hannibal, like he always had given the impression of, took the opportunities that arose? The thought made it so much more sense, and made it so much better to swallow, that Will allowed it to pass.

 

“If that’s the reason, then I’m happy to be here.” Will said, allowing the last of his anger to melt away.

 

They continued walking, side by side, until they came to the doorway of the study. When Will tried to continue walking, Hannibal stopped him with a hand to his elbow, turned him back towards himself, and kissed him. Will was so surprised that he didn’t know how to react, Hannibal’s lips was so soft underneath his, yet the strength and dominance in the kiss was unmistakable. Just as he started kissing back, Hannibal withdrew, and pointed up.

 

Above their heads hang a single mistletoe.

 

Maybe this christmas would be better than the last ones. 


End file.
